In Memoriam: Very Rev. Dennis Pavichevich

9. October 2018 - 13:08

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Alumnus Very Rev. Dennis Pavichevich. Fr. Dennis fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, October 7, 2018, at the age of 72.

Fr. Dennis Pavichevich (Dragoljub Pavicevic) began his theological studies at St. Sava Seminary in Belgrade, Serbia. He returned to the United States after two years and completed his undergraduate studies at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science in 1972. Fr. Dennis graduated from Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1975 with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree.

Fr. Dennis’s first parish as a priest was St. George in Schererville, Indiana, where he oversaw construction of the parish’s church building. He also served at St. Steven's Cathedral in Alhambra, California, Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Chicago—where he helped establish a full-time parochial school, St. Sava Academy—and St. Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church in Brookfield, Illinois.

In 2007, Fr. Dennis entered early retirement due to a long illness. Long-time friend Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko (+2015) offered a touching tribute to Fr. Dennis for the occasion.

For me, Fr. Dennis is a man and a priest who is really “down to earth.” He is a solidly “grounded” servant of Christ who never feared to get “soiled” in his daily duties. In a word, he is a humble man; a man without guile, a man who has always known how to “turn and become like a little child” for the sake of God’s kingdom. But Fr. Dennis has never been childish. He has always been a big, strong, mature man. Those who went with him on one of the St. Vladimir’s Seminary summer octets know this very well since Fr. Schmemann and Prof. Verhovskoy told him to “take care of the boys” during their travels. Fr. Dennis did so, firmly and clearly, just as he took care of his people during all the years of his priestly and pastoral ministry.